Category Archives: Places of historical interest

I admit to a mild sense of intrepidation as I boarded the ferry in Dar Es Salaam for Zanzibar. I still recall the 2011 disaster where it was initially reported over 2500 people were missing when a ferry sank between Zanzibar and Pemba! Reports still vary on this, but the latest ferry sinking was only a year ago! This was an ex Washington State ferry acquired by Tanzania in 2011 for the Zanzibar crossing, that sunk in rough seas in July 2012. It was allegedly overloaded! Continue reading →

Spending time with Ross, Katja & little Laika in New York was truly wonderful. Laika is 2 ½ and with no exaggeration, in the short time I was there, I saw her grow up a little each day, absorbing everything around her like a sponge, exploring her own moods and creating new experiences. Continue reading →

Medellin is an incredible city! After staying at the finca, Marta invited me back to her home in Medellin. She lives on the 16th floor in a beautiful apartment with views in every direction. Continue reading →

The Gold Museum in Bogota has the biggest collection of pre-Hispanic gold pieces in the world. It has over 55 000 pieces of incredible intricacy. The museum is divided into sections that represent the different cultures and their techniques that existed before the arrival of the Spaniards. Continue reading →

I took a bus from Santa Ana to Cartagena for the final stop in my Colombian coastal adventure and ended up in the worst hostel I have ever experienced. It was a shocker! It as in Getsemani which is where the African slaves used to live! Maybe the hostel was doing its best to give us the full historical experience as we had no windows and beds a dog would probably turn its nose up at. Anyway, I have some suspicious bites that are still giving me hell. Continue reading →

After returning from The Lost City I spent a night in a new hostel called: The Drop Bear! How amusing! The drop bear is a mythical Australian creature which is like a vicous koala and has the habit of dropping down on people’s heads. When we used to camp in the karri forrests, the loud explosive sounds caused by self pruning branches crashing to the ground, were attributed to drop bears! I remember being particularly frightened of the damn things! So I was quite amused to find a hostel of this name. Continue reading →

Arriving in Santa Marta on News Years Eve after an overnight bus from San Gil, I foolishly booked the trek to The Lost City for the next day, resulting in me beginning the trek with a major New Years Day hangover! After the initial pain of walking up very steep inclines in tropical heat, sweating more than I ever thought possible, I grew to appreciate my decision. Continue reading →